Road: Harrison opens his account for the year

North East regional champion in 2012, Giles Harrison (Activ Cycles-Corbridge RT) opened his road account for the season with victory in South West Scotland Cycling Project’s Dalbeatie Classic road race in Dumfries-shire.

The 31-year-old Corbridge dentist got the better of Team ASL360 junior team-mates Hamish Carrick, 16, and Gavin Shuttleworth, 18, in a six-up sprint after 63 miles in a race which got off to a dramatic start when 16 riders hit the deck in a high speed crash, prompted by a puncture, on the descent to Colvend on the stunning Solway coast road after just six miles, nine of the victims having to retire.

Most of the race favourites managed to avoid the crash, and the bunch gradually started to split under the pressure of the pace and the testing, undulating roads with Bradley Stokes (Pedal Power RT) in particularly aggressive mood until, with just over a lap to go, a big effort on the Lodge Wood climb saw him open up a gap of 100 metres.

Ever gaining in experience, Shuttleworth waited for the gap to grow a bit before jumping across the gap to Stokes with Peter Hale (Team Leslie Bikes) and Harrison following suit.

With two other ASL360 juniors doing their best to discourage any chase from the bunch, the break continued to prosper until Ewan Minty (Berwick Wheelers), frustrated by the lack of any organised chase, took off in pursuit.

The alert Carrick quickly latched onto the back wheel of Minty, and once the gap got big enough the two started working together and closed 42-second gap and within just five miles.

The remnants of the bunch resigned themselves to race for seventh place as the lead stretched out to 2-15 on the run to the finish - Shuttleworth launching a big attack with just over a kilometre to go, but Harrison covering the move and then kicking clear as the pair were brought back to finish a few seconds clear as Carrick tried to counter the move but had to settle for second place.

The supporting fourth category race was marred by a crash with just 200 metres to go - Gary Davidson (VC Astar Anderside), who had finished second and third in his two previous races, taking a fine win from Marc Anderson (Loudoun RC).

British Cycling would like to thank the organising team, officials and everyone else who helped promote this event. Our sport could not exist without the hundreds of people, many of them unpaid volunteers, who put in many hours of hard work running events, activities and clubs.